History teaches that the gospel of Jesus Christ was taken in purity to the world by the Apostles from Jerusalem. It was taken to the Gentiles, chief of whom was Rome. At that time the Roman Empire was pagan. In brief, they worshipped many gods and they had many traditions of men. They didn't believe in the one eternal God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God who created the heavens and the earth and all that is therein.Many of the early Christians gave their lives because of their faith in the gospel and their belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ. Thousands upon thousands died as a result of their refusal to deny their faith in Christ the Saviour.

When pagan Rome failed to stamp out the early Christian faith by their dreadful persecutions they then began to infiltrate and subvert the Church of Christ. This infiltration and subversion resulted in the apostasy of the Church. (They deserted "the pure gospel of Jesus Christ). They took from the pure gospel many parts that were plain and most precious and they added many things to the organization of the Church of Christ that were not taught by Christ or the Apostles.

The holy prophets and Christ in His ministry and the Apostles after Him, all plainly foretold that this apostasy would come. Let us review some of these forewarnings.

"Take heed therefore unto yourselves… for I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." Acts 20:28-30."For the time wilt come when they shall not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers; having itching ears; and they shall turn their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." II Tim. 4:3-4.

Both of these scriptures are very plain in forecasting that in an early day the Church of Christ would have an apostasy, a turning away from the sound doctrine of Christ. Let us consider a few other prophesies regarding this falling away from the truth.

"They have transgressed the laws.""They have ‘changed the ordinances’ "."They have 'broken the everlasting covenant' ""The earth is defiled--Isaiah 24:5-6."“They are drunken but not with wine.""The Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep.""The Lord 'hath closed your eyes." Isaiah 29:9-10.“Darkness covereth the earth.”"Gross darkness the people." Isaiah 60:2."My sheep wandered through all the mountains.""My flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth.”"None did search or seek after them.""There was no shepherd." Ezekiel 34:6-8."I will send a famine in the land.""A famine of hearing the words of the Lord.""They shall not find it." Amos 8:11-12.

If you will meditate on these scriptures for a while you will soon realize how completely God forewarned in His word that the church should be subverted from within and persecuted from without.These prophecies were fulfilled in the early centuries after Christ and in the dark ages that followed. The Bishop in Rome became the first pope. The pope assumed dignity, authority, and infallibility which should be attributed only to God and not to any servant of God. Boniface the 8th in these words described the pope. The pope is of so great dignity and excellence, that he is not merely man, but as if God, and the vicar of God. The pope alone is called most holy, divine monarch, and supreme emperor and king of kings. The pope is of so great dignity and power that he constitutes one and the same tribunal with Christ, so that whatever the pope does seems to proceed from the mouth of God. The pope is as God on earth. Guinness; Romanism and the Reformation, Page 25-26.

The early infiltration of other pagan thoughts and traditions brought many other man-made innovations into the early Church of Christ, such as prayers to and reverence to the Virgin Mary. They began to teach that Mary will make intercession between man and Christ, her son. But the scriptures teach Christ is our only mediator. They also introduced the doctrine of the adoration of the saints, martyrs, and angels, teaching men to pray to these beings to make intercession in behalf of the one so praying. This practice started in about 360 A.D. They introduced into the church, baptism of infants and the confession of one's sins to a priest. They introduced and started the practice of celibacy of the clergy and the wearing of distinctive dress by the priests. One could go on for some length to point out many more perverse doctrines which were introduced into the early Church of Christ which "transgressed the law, change the ordinances and broke the everlasting covenant," as Isaiah foretold. There are a great many scriptures to substantiate the early apostasy for example, Matthew 11:12, "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffered violence and the violent take it by force." Yes, the pagan, heathen, gentiles were violent and did eventually take the kingdom by force, even in the days of the Apostles there were those who rose up and spoke perverse things to draw away disciples alter them.

If you are seeking for the true Church of Christ today do you expect to find her with these perverted doctrines and traditions of men? I recall another scripture which reads, "Whatsoever the Lord doeth He doeth it forever, nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it and God doeth it that men should fear before Him.”But some will reply, oh, that is all true, but we have had a reformation. To this we would reply, yes that is true, there was a protest movement started and an effort by man to reform The Apostate Church of Christ. Where the Church at Rome added many traditions to their church; on the other hand the reformation churches fall far short of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They do not even teach, all of the principles of the gospel of Christ.

We too feel the leaders of the Reformation were inspired of God. The protestant leaders did reform much; they no longer recognized the authority coming from Rome but there are some outstanding points where the protestant churches failed, namely. 1. The Bible does not teach that there would be a reformation of the Church of Christ. The scripture teaches plainly there would be an apostasy of the early Church of Christ and then in the last days there would be a restoration. Please note, Rev. 14:6, "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred and tongue and people." The Church of Christ believes and maintains; if the fullness of the everlasting gospel was on the earth, then it would be unnecessary for God to send an angel having the everlasting gospel to preach to men on the earth and to every nation, etc. This is a restoration of truth not a man-made reform. Thus we sincerely believe the scriptures teach there would be a restoration of the gospel by God and not a reforming of the gospel by man. Another clue we might add here, in regard to this restoration, can be found in Psalms 85:11, "Truth shall spring out of the earth; righteousness shall look down from heaven," and still another proof of this latter day restoration can be found in Isaiah 29 where the prophet Isaiah speaks of a book that is sealed; of a people that shall be brought down," and shall speak out of the ground, and their speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground and thy speech shall be out of the dust. "And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book." Isaiah 29:4-18.Is it not evident from the scriptures that truth would spring out of the earth, that a fallen people would speak as from the dust that it would be published in book form and many of the people deaf to spiritual things would hear these words in that day? We are sure if you are honest in heart and would have the truth you will desire to read the words of this book that has come as it were from the ground or dust. If you do truly desire to receive an added witness for Christ, obtain your copy of the Record of the Nephites the true history of the progenitors of the American Indians.

From this record we learn that Jesus appeared among the Indian's forefathers after His resurrection in Jerusalem. Jesus expounded the scripture to them, He established His church among them and declared the pure gospel of Jesus Christ, just as He did at Jerusalem. Christ also restored those parts of His gospel that He foreknew would be taken away by the great apostasy which would start at Rome, that we have been discussing.

THE CHURCH OF CHRISTAnew

"We trust from the scriptures and evidence we have presented, you will now be ready to ask: If the early Church of Christ went into apostasy; if truth was to spring from the earth, if God was going to send an angel flying through the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach to men on the earth; when then is the Church of Christ today? In answer to this question we humbly declare to you, that God has again spoken and revealed His will from heaven in our day, for He is an unchangeable God. The Church of Christ has been established ANEW. Anew means again or afresh. It had to be established again or afresh because neither the apostate church from Rome or any of the numerous man-made reformed protestant churches can qualify to be the restored Church of Christ which is foretold in the Bible. The Church of Christ that is being restored in the last days was prophesied to be the work of God and angels.

And Jesus answered and said, "Elias shall first come and restore all things, as the prophets have written." Matt. 17:10-13.God prophesied to send Elijah the prophet before the coming al the great and dreadful day of the Lord. This promise of God is being fulfilled in this great dispensation. God has again sent John the Baptist in the spirit and power of Elias or Elijah. He has brought a message of hope and deliverance to this dying world. In fulfillment of the words of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist is coming now to restore all things. Matthew 17:10. He was sent in 1829 to restore the authority so man could again represent God and again baptize with authority on this earth. This same angel appeared to Apostle Fetting in 1927 and in 1929 established the Church of Christ Anew that a people might make themselves ready to meet Jesus Christ when He comes to His Temple. John the Baptist is a resurrected being, Matthew 27:52-53, he is the messenger of the Lord, to prepared His way before Him. He has appeared forty-six times to Apostle W. A. Draves and seventy-six times in all to date, July, 1960, bringing instruction to the Church of Christ, and a warning to all people that the judgments of God are at hand for the people of this world.

Therefore, oh ye people of the world, receive the word of the Lord as brought by the messenger of God; or would you rather scoff and doubt and die in ashes of the burning that is now at hand and will surely come upon all those who will not hear the voice of Jesus Christ today. Malachi 4:1.Therefore take heed unto your soul for we are all the creation of the God of Israel. Let this be a warning unto you this day. That our garments may not be stained by your blood, in that day when we shall all stand before the judgment bar of Christ; we declare unto you the coming of the promised Elijah and present to you the message he has brought.

He is calling on all to repent and prepare, for the coming of Christ is near at hand.The aim of the Church of Christ is to preach the pure old Jerusalem gospel of Jesus Christ. To declare the Elijah message that God hath sent, to prepare a people to meet Jesus Christ when He comes to His Temple. To build the Temple of the Lord under the direction of the Lord and His servants: That Israel's hosts shall then be gathered. And all this we desire to do in love and humility. With an eye single to the glory of God and the welfare and restoration of the house of Israel. Amen.